Spring catch



Aug. l0, 1954 M. F. sAxToN ET AL 2,686,071

SPRING CATCH Filed Aug. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 10, 1954 M. F. sAxToN ET AL 2,686,071

SPRING CATCH-IV Filed Aug. 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. A

ug- 10, 1954 M. F. SAXTON ET AL 2,636,071

SPRING CATCH v Filed Aug. 17, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 A TTORA/YS Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES Zddil hAThNT GiFFlCE SPRING CATCH Millard F. Saxton, Flint, and Charles S. Gemey, Ferndale, Mich., assignors to lThe Engineered Michigan Products Co., Flint, Mich., a corporation of 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a spring catch and, more particularly, to a spring catch of the type commonly used on doors.

It is an object oi this invention to produce a spring catch, the construction of which permits its economical manufacture and, at the same time, enables the unit to be mounted in a variety of diierent positions to meet the requirements of various types of installations.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a catch which will operate for a long time with a minimum amount of wear and with a minimum amount of noise.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a catch which is biased by a light spring and a heavy spring, the one spring resisting the door opening operation and the other spring resisting the door closing operation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a catch and handle assembly which is attractive in appearance and readily mounted on a door or the like and which lends itself to economical manufacture.

Other objects in the way of simplicity of manufacture and operation of the catch and its adaptability for different installations will become apparent in the following description taken in conjunction `with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the basic catch unit of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the catch.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the catch showing the internal construction thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the catch unit assembled with a mounting flange for a mortised installation.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the operation of the catch when a door on which it is mounted is opened and closed.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the catch illustrating one form of installation thereof.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary View, partly in sec'- tion, of the catch combined with a handle for use on a door, such as a screen door.

Fig. 12 is an end View of the assembly shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken substantially 1 Fig. 16 illustrates another form of catch and handle assembly ltor use on a door.

Fig. 17 is an end View of a catch and handle assembly shown in Fig. 16.

Fig. 13 illustrates another form of catch and handle assembly.

Fig. 19 is a sectional View along the lines lil-i9 in Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 shows the manner in which the catch of this invention is adapted for use as a door stop.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. l through 3, the basic form oi the catch of our invention is there illustrated. The catch generally comprises a tubular or cylindrical ca.,- ing l@ which is generally in the form of a cup.m shaped member having an opening i2 at one end thereof. Within casing iii there is slidably arranged a hollow piston it having an opening It which corresponds and is aligned with opening i2 in casing it. Within piston it there is arranged a bolt generally referenced i3 having an enlarged body portion 2t housed within piston id and a nose piece 22 normally projecting outwardly through openings l2 and it.

Bolt I8 is biased to the projected position illustrateol in Fig. 3 by a spring 2d which backs at one end against the inner face of bolt i8 and at the other end against a washer 25 which is retained within piston it as by inwardly crimping the end of the piston as at 28. Piston lli is in turn biased towards the end of casing iii having the opening i2 by a spring 3i? which is arranged between washer 26 and a cover plate which is crimped in place at the other end of casing lil.

The nose piece portion 22 of bolt iii is wedge shaped and has one face 3L! extending generally parallel to the axis of piston it and its opposite face 3E inclined to the face 3d. We have found that a very quiet operation is obtained with the bolt H3 formed of plastic oi sufficient strength to withstand the use to which catches of this type are normally subjected. A plastic material which we have found to be admirably suited for the manufacture of bolt i8 is molded nylon and more particularly a linear polyamide such as is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,136,523. This type of plastic is a thermo-plastic material with a high melting point, remarkable strength and has a natural lubricating quality which properties we have found make it ideal for use as a bolt in a door catch. Plastic materials in general also have the advantage over metal in that they are of lighter weight, possess high 3 dimensional fidelity and are adapted for easy fabrication.

One of the important features of the catch of our invention resides in the provision of springs 24 and Bil. Spring 24, it will be noted, is considerably heavier than spring 38, and it is therefore obvious that the resistance to axial movement of piston I4 within casing Ill is much less than the resistance to the pivotal movement of bolt I8 Within piston ill. It will be noted that there is suiiicient clearance between the body portion 2|] of bolt IB and the interior walls of piston I4 to permit the bolt I8 to pivot around the edge 33 of the bolt. Springs .24 and 3Q are selected such that, when they are crimped into place in the assembly, they are subjected to an initial cornpression. These springs are arranged under initial compression so that a low-rate spring may be used and so that the force necessary to compress the springs is more uniform.

As will be more fully described hereinafter, the basic assembly thus far described is adapted to be used in a variety of installations and, for the purpose of illustrating the operation of the catch, there is shown in Fig. 4 the form of catch which may be employed for a mortised installation. The catch illustrated in Fig. 4 is constructed generally along the lines of that illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3. For the purposes oi economy, however, the casing 4i! is formed slightly different from the casing ill. Casing 49, like casing It, is fashioned as a cup-shaped member but is provided With an outwardly extending radial flange 42 around the open end thereof. Over the open end of casing 4G there is arranged a mounting flange 4t and a face plate 4E, which is apertured to receive casing 4B and which is inserted over the casing from the rear end thereof so that the radial flange l2 is held between the mounting ange 44 and the face plate 46. The entire assembly is held together by crimping the metal of the mounting flange 44 around the screw holes 48 over adjacent portions of the face plate as at 50. Mounting flange 44 is provided with a central aperture 52 through which the nose piece 22 of bolt I 8 normally projects.

The assembly illustrated in Fig. 4 can be mounted on a door by simply drilling a hole 54 (Fig. in the vertical edge of the door, the hole being of a size to accommodate casing 46. The

door jarnb is fitted with a conventional striker plate 55 having a curved outer flange 5S which cooperates with the face 35 of nose piece 2E in the door closing operation and a substantially straight keeper flange portion 69 which coopcrates with the :face 34 of nose piece 22 in the door opening operation.

Figs. 5 through 9 illustrate the unique operating features of the catch of this invention. Face 36 of nose piece 22 is inclined to the axis of piston I4 such that, when the door is closed, flange 58 of striker 5E engages face 35 and tends to shift the bolt I 8 axially inwardly of the catch as is illustrated in Fig. 6. Since spring 3B is much lighter than spring 24, the entire piston assembly will be shifted axially inwardly of casing 40. When the door reaches the fully closed position nose piece 22 is released by the striker 56 and the piston assembly is projected outwardly under the influence of spring 30. Striker 56 is mounted on the door jainb such that, when the door is in closed position, bolt i8 is disposed directly behind keeper flange S0 and the engagement of keeper flange St with the face 34 of the bolt thus maintains the door in a closed condition. Opening of the door is thereby resisted by the engagement of face 34 of bolt IS with the keeper ilange Gil. Face 34 extends generally axially of the axis of piston I4 and therefore, when the door is opened, keeper .flange t0 does not tend to shift the bolt axially inwardly of the casing but rather to pivot the bolt around the edge 33 of the body portion 2t, as is illustrated in Fig. 8.

The pivotal movement of the bolt within piston I4 is resisted by spring 24 and it is therefore obvious that, until the bolt pivots to a position where the nose of the bolt clears the flange G9 of striker 5'3 considerably, more force must be exerted upon the door in the opening operation than is required for closing the door. When the door ls open to the extent indicated in Fig. 9, the nose of the bolt rides over keeper ila-nge G0 and the bolt thereby springs back to the position shown by broken lines in Fig. 9 projecting fully out of the end of piston I4. This return of the bolt causes piston I4 to move axially inwardly of the casing against the resistance of spring 3U. The relative forces required to open and close the door on which the catch is mounted can therefore be controlled by varying the relative strengths oi springs 24 and 3G. It will also be appreciated that if the catch is used in an installation where itis desired to require more force to close the door than to open it, the desired result may be obtained by replacing spring 24 with a light spring and spring 30 with a heavy spring.

The basic catch assembly illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3 is adapted to be used in a variety of applications, and it is not limited to the installation shown in Fig. 4l. A simple installation for use on the inner face of a door is shown in Fig. l0 wherein the basic catch assembly is secured to the face of the door by a cylindrical bracket 62 which is fashioned with a pair of overlying mounting flanges 64 and $5. The cylindrical portion 58 of bracket 62 is dimensioned such as to receive the casing It! with a rather close t when flanges 64 and 65 are spaced apart slightly. Bracket B2 is secured to the face of the door as by screws l.

" When the catch is mounted on the door, flanges 64 and 65 are brought together by tightening the screws 'IIL and casing IG is thereby gripped firmly by the cylindrical portion S8 of bracket G2.

A suitable striker plate 'l2 is mounted on the door jarnb for cooperation with the nose piece 22 of the bolt. It will be observed that, by forming casing I0 as a cylinder, the catch can be used as either a right-handed catch or a left-handed catch by inserting the casing through the cylindrical portion Si! of bracket B2 in the proper direction. The catch can also be rotated to any desirable position to meet the requirements of a variety of different types of installation.

The cylindrical shape of the catch adapts the catch for mounting on a door in combination With a handle member. In Figs. 11 through 13, for instance, there is shown a combined catch and handle assembly which is admirably suited for use on a screen door. In this form of the invention the cover plate 32 is replaced by a cover plate I4 which is centrally apertured as at 16. Within aperture 'I6 there is slidably arranged a pin 'I8 having a plate 80 secured to one end thereof and against Which the inner face of bolt I8 abuts. Pin 'I8 is disposed within piston i4 and is biased on the one hand by spring 24. Pin 18 is also biased by a relatively light spring 82 to a position in which it projects the nose piece 22 of bolt I8 outwardly through the openings I2 and IB, .It Will be observed that in the form of catch illustrated in Fig. 1l, the heavy spring .24 resists the movement of plate 80 relative to piston I4 and inward movement of the piston relative to casing lil is resisted by light spring '82.

On the outer face of cover plate 'M there is pivoted, as at 84, a cap 86 having a central aperture t8 which in one position of the cap is aligned with opening lt in plate l. In said last mentioned position, pin .'|8 is capable of being pro jected through openings 16 and 8S by pivotal or axial movement of bolt i8 when the door .is opened. Cap 8i? is, however, pivotable to a position (shown by broken lines in Fig. 13) wherein the opening 88 is orlset relative to the opening it. In this position the face 90 of the cap blocks, or at least partially blocks, opening 'l to prevent pin it from being projected outwardly of the casing and thereby prevent opening or the door. Face til of cap te has an extending arm si which is bent inwardly to progect through an arcuate slot 9d in cover plate lli, slot 9d having a notch in which a projection 96 on arm 9| is adapted to engage to yieldably hold cap te in the unlocked position. A pair of upstanding flanges 98 along each side of face Sii form nnger pieces which enable the cover plate 8% to be conveniently actuated.

It will be appreciated that the form of catch illustrated in Figs` 11 through i3 may be employed whenever it is desired to provide a catch with a locking feature. In the particular embodiment illustrated in these figures, the catch is associated with a handle |69 which is fashioned as a stamping having a substantially hat mounting portion 02 which connects with one end of a looped handle portion ltd. The other end of the handle portion it is fashioned into a pair of spaced apart legs it provided with mounting flanges 03 at the lower ends thereof and con nected by a semi-cylindrical portion il@ which conforms in shape and site with cylindrical case ing l). The assembly is adapted to be secured to the face of a door by screws l l2 or other fastening devices which, when driven into the door, clamp the casing it between the face of the door and the arcuate connecting portion lill of the handle` in Figs. 14 and l5 the catch assembly is shown mounted on a modified form of handle which includes an arcuately shaped handle portion ||4l on the outside of the door and a somewhat simi ilarly shaped handle portion H8 on the inside of the door. Handle members lill and lili are oi arcuate cross section as is better shown in Fig. 15. A pair of threaded ferrules are peened or otherwise suitably secured to the base portion 22B on handle member l l5, and the base portion |22 of handle member H4 is suitably apertured for reception of threaded studs |25 which may be inserted into suitable openings in the door for engagement with the threaded ferrules i3. The .i

base 52d of handle member l I6 is provided with an arcuate seat 25. Casing it is retained on seat litt by a strap member |28 which overlies the casing and has its lower edges mc bent to underlie the lateral edges of base |29. Strap |28 is fashioned with an upper rear portion which interflts with the arcuate cross sectional contour of handle member lili and which is secured to the handle as at |30.

In Figs. 16 and 17 there is illustrated another form of catch and handle assembly in which the handle is fashioned as two similarly shaped half members |32 and |34 which are secured together as by rivets |35. Each half portion |32 and |34 is shaped to provide a handle portion |38 and an arcuately shaped leg portion |40 which terminates at its lower edge in a mounting flange i512. These half sections are dimensioned Ysuch that the arcuate leg portions Mil snugly receive the cylindrical casing it and maintain the catch rigidly in position on the door. if desired, each leg portion |40 may be provided with an arcuately inwardly struck tab |44 which engages the casing l!) around a 'portion thereof adjacent the face of the door.

In Figs. 18 and 19 another form of catch and handle assembly is illustrated. In this embodiment the handle |46 has a flat base portion |48 adapted to be arranged against and secured to the face of a. door. Along one edge base |48 is fashioned into an upstanding face plate i5@ which terminates in a pull portion |52 which eX- tends generally parallel to the base H55 but is spaced therefrom. Pull portion |52 and base ist are spaced apart sufficiently to permit mounting of the catch therebetween. The catch is mounted on base |48 by a U-'shaped mounting bracket ie/l having mounting flanges |55 along each edge thereof` The upstanding face plate ist is suitably apertured as at |58 to receive casing it so that the nose piece 22 may be arranged to project into an engagement with a striker plate let. A dead bolt |62 is slidably arranged on bracket |5il as by a headed pin its slidable within an eion-- gated slot |66 in bracket its. Dead bolt to2, when in the projected position, cooperates with striker plate to prevent opening of the door.

In Fig. 20 there is illustrated an arrangement wherein the catch of this invention is employed as a combined door stop and door holder. The catch is mounted in an upstanding position on the floor by means of a cylindrically shaped bracket |55 which is dimensioned to snugly receive casing i0. In this arrangement the catch is positioned with the nose piece 22 projecting upwardly for engagement with a striker its which is secured to the door at the proper eight. By arranging the casing lll such that the iiat face 3d of the nose piece engages behind the striker |63 when the door is fully opened and by suitably selecting the springs 24 and Bil, the operation of the door may be controlled such that little effort is required to swing the door open into engagement with the catch but considerable force is required to swing the door out oi engagement with the catch when it is desired to close the door. A rubber sleeve iii! is slipped over casing l0 and bracket |66 to serve as a bumper for` the door.

It will thus be seen that the catch of this invention may be employed advantageously in many types of installations. The cylindrical shape of the basic catch assembly greatly facilitates the adjustment of the catch in the desired position for the particular installation employed. The cylindrical shape also adapts the catch for cont venient mounting in combination with a handle member. The catch is furthermore of a design which admits of economical manufacture.

One of the important features of the catch of this invention resides in the shape of the nose piece 22 of bolt I8 in combination with the piston assembly and the spring of diiferent weights. By arranging the nose piece such that its pivotal movement is resisted by a relatively heavy spring and its axial movement by a relatively light spring, the small force required to close the door results in a very quiet operation. The inability to produce quiet operation is one of the main objections to spring catches of the conventional type. The quiet operation of the catch is further enhanced by the use of the thermo-plastic material for forming the nose piece.

We claim:

l. A door catch comprising a tubular casing, a piston disposed substantially completely within said casing, said casing and piston having registering openings in one set of corresponding end walls thereof, a bolt having an enlarged body portion within said piston and having a reduced nose piece projectable through said registering openings, a spring acting between said body portien of the bolt and piston and biasing said bolt such that the nose piece normally projects outwardly of said opening in said piston and said body portion abuts against said end wall of said piston, a second spring acting between said bolt and said casing and biasing said piston towards said end Wall of said casing, said iirst spring being heavier than said second spring, said bolt being rockable in said piston by engagement of an edge portion of said enlarged body portion with the inner face of said end wall of the piston adjacent said opening therein and being arranged to stress said lirst spring when pivoted and to stress said second spring when shifted axially of said casing.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a pin in said casing, said pin being axially shiftable in response to movement of said bolt, and means on said casing releasably engageable with said pin for preventing the axial shifting thereof.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said casing is provided with an opening at the other end thereof to which said pin is projectable by a movement of said bolt and wherein said last mentioned means comprises a nger actuated -member on said casing for obstructing the opening in said other end of said casing and thereby preventing the axial shifting of said pin.

4. A friction catch comprising a tubular casing, a tubular piston disposed substantially completely within the confines of said casing and slidable axially therein, means deiining an end wall. at one end of said casing, said piston having an end wall at the corresponding end thereof, said end walls each having an opening therein smaller in size than the cross section of the respective members, said openings registering in a direction axially of said casing, a bolt having an enlarged head portion received within said piston and a reduced nose piece projectable through said registering openings, a coil compression spring acting between said piston and the opposite end of said casing and urging the piston into abutting relation with said end wall of said casing, a coil compression spring acting between said bolt and piston and biasing said bolt axially toward said end wall of said piston so that the head portion of the bolt abuts against said end wall and said nose piece projects outwardly through the opening in said end wall, said head portion of said bolt having a riin extending radially outwardly beyond said nose piece and normally abutting against the inner face of said end wall of .said piston around the opening therein, said bolt being rockable in a direction inwardly of said piston by engagement of a portion of said rim with a portion of said end. wall of said piston, said second mentioned spring engaging the inner end of said bolt and yieldably resisting such pivotal movement, said springs being selected such that a greater force is required on said nose piece to rock said bolt inwardly of said piston than is required to shift said bolt and piston axially towards said opposite end of said casing.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said rim is provided with a peripheral edge portion which is rounded in an axial direction.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said registering openings are generally rectangular in shape and wherein said nose piece is correspondingly shaped in transverse section.

7. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said casing is of cylindrical shape.

8. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein the outer end of said nose piece is provided with an axially extending face on one side thereof and with a face inclined to said axially extending face on the opposite side thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 381,740 Wollensak Apr. 24, 1888 1,075,028 Frost Oct. 7, 1913 1,220,210 Epling Mar. 27, 1917 1,672,901 North June 12, 1928 2,499,165 Roethel Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 80,425 Sweden May 15, 1934 275,786 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1927 437,680v Great Britain Nov. 4, 1935 

